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OSCE seminar in Montenegro discusses professional standards of journalism
PODGORICA 21 November 2003
PODGORICA, 21 November 2003 - The OSCE Office in Podgorica and the Self-Regulatory Body of the Journalists of Montenegro organized a seminar aimed at bringing the Code of Conduct for Montenegrin Journalists to life.
The seminar was attended by managers of Montenegrin print media responsible for editorial policy, representatives of the Montenegro Media Reform Implementation Group and international media experts. The purpose was to foster the dialogue between the print media and Journalists' Self-Regulatory Body in order to improve the professional standards of Montenegrin journalism.
The seminar comprised discussions on respecting the rights of minors and the rights to privacy, reporting on criminal and court procedures, reporting on acts of violence and procedure for correcting print media errors.
"The Principles of the Montenegrin Journalist Code of Conduct have been established with the efforts of all Montenegrin professional associations of journalists and adopted with enthusiasm," stressed Ambassador Rudolf Bogner, Head of OSCE Office in Podgorica.
"The implementation of high professional standards has still to be achieved and that is a much more complex process than merely the adoption of a Code of Conduct. At my contacts with the managers of print media outlets of Montenegro they demonstrated complete understanding of the necessity to maintain the principles of professional behaviour of media. With the Code of Conduct they are given the tools to fight against the political influence and rivalry in the media market, which sometimes prevails over principles of high quality journalism."
The Montenegrin Code of Conduct is based on internationally accepted principles of professional behaviour and human rights contained in the European Declaration of Human Rights. The Code of Conduct had already been adopted in 2001, but the implementation was taken up only recently after the approval by the Co-ordinator of the Self-Regulatory Body of the Journalists of Montenegro.
Ambassador Bogner emphasized that today's discussions demonstrated that media professionals are on the right path in gaining understanding in the important area of ethical journalistic practices.
The seminar was attended by managers of Montenegrin print media responsible for editorial policy, representatives of the Montenegro Media Reform Implementation Group and international media experts. The purpose was to foster the dialogue between the print media and Journalists' Self-Regulatory Body in order to improve the professional standards of Montenegrin journalism.
The seminar comprised discussions on respecting the rights of minors and the rights to privacy, reporting on criminal and court procedures, reporting on acts of violence and procedure for correcting print media errors.
"The Principles of the Montenegrin Journalist Code of Conduct have been established with the efforts of all Montenegrin professional associations of journalists and adopted with enthusiasm," stressed Ambassador Rudolf Bogner, Head of OSCE Office in Podgorica.
"The implementation of high professional standards has still to be achieved and that is a much more complex process than merely the adoption of a Code of Conduct. At my contacts with the managers of print media outlets of Montenegro they demonstrated complete understanding of the necessity to maintain the principles of professional behaviour of media. With the Code of Conduct they are given the tools to fight against the political influence and rivalry in the media market, which sometimes prevails over principles of high quality journalism."
The Montenegrin Code of Conduct is based on internationally accepted principles of professional behaviour and human rights contained in the European Declaration of Human Rights. The Code of Conduct had already been adopted in 2001, but the implementation was taken up only recently after the approval by the Co-ordinator of the Self-Regulatory Body of the Journalists of Montenegro.
Ambassador Bogner emphasized that today's discussions demonstrated that media professionals are on the right path in gaining understanding in the important area of ethical journalistic practices.